The US Department of Homeland Security is planning to send around 250 federal border agents to New Orleans for a two-month immigration crackdown, according to documents obtained by the Associated Press and three sources familiar with the operation.
Dubbed 'Swamp Sweep', the operation is expected to begin on 1 December and aims to arrest roughly 5,000 people across southeast Louisiana and into Mississippi. It marks the latest in a series of rapid-fire immigration enforcement actions nationwide, as the Trump administration pursues its promise of mass deportations.
The deployment will unfold on the home turf of Republican Governor Jeff Landry, a close ally of President Donald Trump who has aligned state policy with the White House's enforcement agenda. However, the increased federal presence could set up a confrontation with officials in liberal-leaning New Orleans, who have historically resisted such sweeps.
